Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to the field of exercising devices, and in particular to exercising devices that provide counter-reciprocating pedal movement for exercising the feet and legs.
Many lifestyles require sitting for long periods of time. These lifestyles may include working at a desk in an office, watching television, or riding in a motorized vehicle. Muscular atrophy and circulatory retardation are well known health risks faced by many individuals who sit for long periods of time. Since exercise during sitting is typically very limited, it is desirable to use an exercise device that is compact and portable, yet provides the seated person a way to gently exercise the muscles of the lower extremities.
Various devices are known which exercise the lower extremities while the user is seated. These typically involve rotary pedaling, such as is used on a bicycle. One device which provides for reciprocating motion of pedals hingedly connected to a base is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,921 issued to Chuang. This structure has two pedals that support the user""s feet. The pedals may be connected together so that they pivot in unison, or may be disconnected so that they pivot freely. This device thus provides a foot rest that may also be used to pivot the feet independently.
There remains the need for a simple exerciser that is small and portable enough to be readily used in an office environment or in confined areas while providing active extending and contracting of muscles of the lower extremities.
The present invention provides for active extending and contracting of muscles of the lower extremities by pedals coupled together in a manner producing counter-reciprocating motion of the pedals.
More specifically, the present invention provides an exerciser having a pair of elongate pedals and a coupler mounted relative to a frame for coupling the pedals in a manner producing opposite, counter-reciprocating motion. The pedals are mounted in side-by-side relationship. Each pedal has a toe end, a heel end, and an upper pedal surface extending along a pedal axis. Each pedal is mounted at a first position to the frame in a manner limiting the pedal to movement about a pivot axis. The coupler supports each of the pedals at a second position spaced from the first position and moves the second position of the pedal upwardly when the second position of the other pedal moves downwardly. The coupler preferably includes a shaft rotatable about a shaft axis transverse to the pedal axis, and a support element coupled to the shaft and providing off-axis support for each pedal during rotation of the shaft.
In one preferred embodiment the frame has a continuous upper surface with a pair of side-by-side elongate openings for receiving the pedals. The pedal is hingedly mounted to the frame near the heel. A motor is mounted on the frame for rotating the shaft. A cam or crank is mounted on the shaft for supporting each pedal between the toe and the hinged frame mounting. The cams or cranks associated with the pedals extend in radially opposite directions from the shaft so as to produce counter-reciprocating motion in the pedals during shaft rotation. A resistance device, such as a spring, fluid cylinder or ballast system or motor friction, provide resistance to downward movement of each pedal. A switch or other control is mounted relative to the frame adjacent to a pedal that is manipulable by a user""s foot for controlling operation of the motor.
A particularly advantageous feature of this invention is that it provides equal and opposite movement of the user""s two feet, thereby simulating a walking motion, balancing exercise and movement to the two feet and lower legs. In the preferred form, the invention may be used in a manual mode as a source of exercise, particularly when provided with a resistance device that requires some exertion by the user to press a pedal down. It may also be used in a passive or automatic mode in which the pedals are driven by an external source, such as a motor, hydraulic, pneumatic or other active system.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the preferred embodiment described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.